[qwerty_asdf]

Since when is voluntary experimentation on a test rig, under controlled circumstances, criminally stupid? It’s not like this was a passenger flight.

It would warrant criticism if the pilot tried it without informing the crew prior to takeoff. All participants entered into the activity with an understanding that they were risking their lives.

These people did it because they enjoyed the challenge, not to score points with corporate overlords or jockey for a raise and a promotion. The marketing angle was simply to provide cost justification and demonstrate that a perceptible reward would be earned with the risk undertaken.

[InTheArena]

That's a optimistic reading of the article. The article states it was for marketing reasons, and also states that they had several plan threating outcomes that were not planned for.

If it where in the context of understanding the plane's behavior at trans-sonic speeds, I can understand it, but that is not really given as a justification.